Latch.



No. 69s,|7s. Patented Mar. '25, |902.

C. P. HOWARD'.

LATCH.

' Application Bled Oct. 12, 190L (Hc Model.) 2 Sll'eets--Sheet L 41 i i -k l 15 a) f Ivi/vento?" Charms P, Joward No. 69am. Patented Mar. 25, |902'.I

C. P.v HOWARD.

LATCH.

(Application filed Oct. 12, 1901.)

(Ilo Model.) 2 Sheets-Shut 2,

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UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE.

CHARLEs P; HOWARD, `OE HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,176, dated March 25, 1902.

Application filed October 12, 1901. Serial No. 78,396. (No model.)

' T0 LZZ whom it may concern:

in the case of the doors for car-vestibules, the

object being to provide a simple, compact, and substantial latch which will enable the door to be released from either side and swung in either direction from a given position to stop with certainty atits alternativeor next position and to be latched automatically therein.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a plan view of my improved latch and one of the strikerplates therefor, the associated door and partition or casement being shown in dot-anddash lines. Fig. 2 is a side view of the latch and striker-plate of Fig. '1. Fig. 3 is a rearward View of the latch projected from the right-hand side of Fig. 2, the latch-frame be'- ing shown in section taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 to 9, inclusive, are views representing three forms of striker plates preferably employed where the door is swung to three or more positions. Fig. 4 is a plan view in section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 5, and Fig. 5 a side view of a striker-platefor the left-hand position of the door looking from the direction of the door itself. Fig. 6 is a plan view in section, taken on the line G 6 of Fig. 7; and Fig. 7 is a side view of the striker-plate for the intermediate position.

Fig. S is a plan view in section, taken on the line 8. S of Fig. 9; and Fig. 9 is a side view of the striker-plate for the right-hand position of the door. Figs. 10,11, and 12 are side views showing three different positions of the latch-bolts, the front of the latch-frame being removed to show the interior mechanism. Fig. 10 shows both bolts in their outward or striker-engaging position. Fig. 11 shows both bolts retracted to enable the door to be opened. Fig.12 shows one bolt in its outward or strikerengaging position, while the other bolt is retracted as when it slidesover its coengaging The fiat side of one v bolt faces in one direction, while the flat side of the other bolt faces in the'opposite direction, and as the door is swung in either direction the flat side of the bolt which faces that direction is utilized for stopping the door at its succeeding position by colliding with the striker-plate, while the other or rearwardlyfacing bolt is depressed by means of its beveled side colliding with an abutment of the striker-plate, the depressed bolt passing over the abutment and dropping into a recess, and thereby preventing the return movement of the door. The terms forwardly and rearwardly7 are herein used for reference to the direction in which the door swings at a given time, the forwardly-facing bolt, as designated herein, being that which has its liat side facing in the direction of movement of the door. It will be understood, however, that these terms are merely relative for convenience in describing the operations of the latch and for clearness in phrasing the claims, the latch itself being preferably made symmetri cal, so that it looks substantially alike on both sides, excepting for the dierence in the bevels of the bolts. These bolts are fitted to slide longitudinally in their respective seats in the latch-frame, being pressed outwardly to their latching position by means of the spring 17. The series of striker-plates `18, v19, and 20 (shown in Figs. 5, 7, and 9) are adapted .to engage with these bolts and re'- ltain the door at what is herein termed its face of that bolt will strike against the shoul' der 23 and prevent further movement of the door in that direction. Meanwhile the beveled back of the lower bolt 16 has ridden over the abutment 24 and is pushed by its spring-into the lower portion25 of the recess behind the sl1oulder26 of the striker-plate, thus preventing the door from swinging open in the return direction.

The striker-plate 20 for what is here termed the right-hand position of the door is the Areverse of the striker-plate 18, as will readily be seen by comparison of Figs. 5 and 9, the recess 28 having an open side at 29 to permit the entrance from the left of the fiat forwardly-facing side of the lower bolt 16, while the beveled back of the upper bolt 15 is depressed by striking against the abutment 30, so that that bolt rides over the abutment and shoots into the recess behind it.

The striker-plate 19 is adapted to stop and latch the door when approaching from either side. As the door approaches that strikerplate from the right-hand side the forwardlyfacing flat side of the upper bolt enters the open-sided recess 32 and stops against the shoulder 33, While the beveled back of the lower bolt rides over and is depressed by the abutment 34 and shoots into the lower recess 35, return movement of the door being prevented by the fiat rearward face of the lower bolt colliding with the shoulder 3G. When the door approaches that striker-plate from the left-hand side, the lowermost bolt passes into the open side of its recess 35 and stops against the shoulder 36, while the beveled back of the upper bolt rides over the abutment 37 and drops into the recess 32, the return movement of the door being prevented by the shoulder 33 in connection with the flat side of the upper bolt. It will be obvious that any number of intermediate latching positions of the door may be established by the use of a corresponding number of the strikerplates 19, the plates 18 and 20 being preferably used only-for the terminal or extreme positions of the door. Inasmuch as each of these striker-plates hold the door at the respective positions by means of the oppositely-facing dat sides of the bolts, it is obviously necessary in order to release the door from either of these plates to retract at lea'st that bolt the flat face of which is presented toward the desired direction of movement of the door, and it is desirable to retract both of the bolts, not only for the ease of opening the door, but also to enable it to be swung freely in either direction. Furthermore, in order to avoid confusion and uncertainty as to which direction the knob or handle or other operating means should be moved it is desirable to retract both boltsby mevement of the handle in either direction, so that any one desiring to open the door has only to turn the knob or handle in either direction of its movement in order to free the door for its movement in both directions.

In my preferred embodiment of this invention the bolts 15 and 1G are mounted in a frame, which is preferably made in two parts, 40 and 4l, for convenience in fitting it upon opposite sides of the door and to present a symmetrical and finished appearance. A dog 43 is mounted in the frame and is provided with oppositely-projecting spurs 44, which bear against a cross-head 45, mounted in the frame between the bolts for longitudinal movement substantially parallel with that of the bolts and in engaging relation to the shoulders 46 of those bolts. By this arrangement it will be seen that both bolts will be carried back, as shown in Fig. 1l, by partial rotation of the dog 43 in either direction, although the bolts are so far independent of the dog and the cross-head 45 that either bolt may be depressed, as shown in Fig. 12, by means of its coengaging abutments of the striker-plates.

The dog 43 is operated by means of knobs or T-handles, and where, as herein shown, the latch-frame is made in two parts for convenience in attaching it to the opposite sides of its door each part is preferably provided with its knob or handle 47, having a spindle 42, which is keyed or coupled to the dog 43. In my preferred construction the dog is provided with a square hole 48, into which the correspondingly-squared ends of the spindles extend, as shown in Fig. 3. For convenience in assembling the parts and retaining the handles in place in their respective sides of the frame I provide each spindle with a screwy thread 49, which fits in a correspondinglythreaded hole of the frame, this thread forming the bearing for the spindle and permitting it to turn far enough to operate the bolts while retaining it longitudinally in position, at the same time enabling the parts to be readily assembled and taken apart.

In operating this latch it is only necessary in approaching the door from either side to turn the knob or T-handle 47 upon that side in either direction, thus retractingboth bolts and freeing the door for movement in either direction. The door is now moved to its desired position, the forwardly-facing bolt and its coepgaging portion of the striker-plate serving the function of preventing the door from swinging past that position, it being remembered that in this class of doors the ordinary rabbet in the door-jamb must be omitted in order to allow the door to swing past when desired.

By arranging the bolts one above the other in different planes of the swinging movement of the door instead of arranging them side by side in the same plane of that swinging movement, as in the ease of many latches of this class, I am enabled to make the entire latch very compact, especially as to its thickness, which is highly desirable, particularly for that class of doors for which this latch is intended, so that the entire thickness of the latch and its frame is not materially greater than that of an ordinary door, and along with this compactness in the thickness of the latch I am enabled to employ bolts having a wide and easy bevel to facilitate the depressing of the bolts by the striker-plate. Furthermore, by thus arranging the bolts one above IOC) IIO

the other, with the operating-spindle between them, I am enabled to -employ simple and compact devices for retracting both bolts by the turning movement in either direction of Y the general public, so that entire strangers:

a knob or handle of the general external ap-A pearance and mode of operation most commonly used for doors and best understood by V to this new latch will operate it correctly at the rst trial. This is an important consideration for devices to be employed upon ra'ilway-car doors and all devices which are to bev bolts;

operated by the general public.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination in a door-latch of two. beveled, oppositelyfacing, independentlyretractable bolts, locatedy indifferent planes of the swinging movement of;the,door, and a striker-plate for stopping and latchingfthe door, provided with means for stopping thev forwardly-facing bolt without depressing it, f

and with ,means for depressing theV rearwardly-facing bolt, and preventing its return movement.Y

2. The combination in a door-latch of two beveled, oppositely facing, independentlyretractable bolts, .located in die'rent planes of the swinging movement of the door, and

two striker-plates for stopping and latching of the swinging movement of the door, and a striker-plate for receiving the doorfrom either direction of its movement, providedl `with means for stopping the forwardly-facing bolt, and forzdepressing and catchingfthe rearwardly-facing bolt.

4. The combination in a door-latch of two beveled, opp'ositely facing, independentlyretractable sliding bolts, located in different planes of the swinging movement of the door, and means operable from both sides of the doorV for simultaneously retracting both 5." Tle combination in a door-latch of two beveled, oppositelyfacing, independentlyretractable bolts,'loc ated in different planes ofthe swinging movement of the door', a

cross-headfor engaging Vwith and iretracting y'both bolts, and means operablefrom both .sides of the door for moving theA cross-head.

' 6. The combination in a door-latch of two jbeveled, oppositely-facing, independentlyretractable bolts, located in diiferent Vplanes g of the swinging movement of the door, a cross-head for engaging with and rracting both bolts simultaneously, a dog mounted for `foszillamory movement, foroperating the crosshead by its oscillation in either direction, and handles ,operable v upon bothy sides o f thedoor,

for oscillating thedog inbothdirections.

vSigned at'Hartford, Connecticut, this 10th day of October, 1901.

CHARLES P. HOWARD. Witnesses: 1 Y l WM. H. HoNIss, H; MALLNER.' 

